Flecked metallized yarn



W. G. SCHARF FLECKED METALLIZED YARN Jan. 2, 1968 Filed Dec.

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Surf/NG Klv/ws *'92 Anffas/ve LA ys NVENTOR. ML75@ G. SCH/WF A Tmp/yay Unted States Patent O 3,361,616 FLECKED METALLIZED YARN Waiter G. Scharf, 243 Palmer Court, Ridgewood, NJ. 07456 Filed Dec. 29, 1953, Ser. No. 332,619 2 Claims. (Cl. 1161-175) This invention relates generally to synthetic yarn for use in textile and in other applications, `and more particularly to a method of producing a synthetic yarn having a decked or dappled appearance resulting from the random distribution of metallic specks therein.

lt has been known to produce metallized yarns by interlaminating two webs of transparent material with a layer of metal foil, the resultant sandwich then being slit to yarn size. By introducing pigment into the adhesive layers used to laminate the webs to the foil or by the use of various printing techniques, color effects may be imparted to the metallized yarn. However, it has not heretofore been possible to fabricate a yarn of synthetic material which is entirely transparent except for specks of metallized material embedded therein the length thereof.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide a novel synthetic yarn of transparent material having metallic specks of different color randomly distributed therein. Because of the flecked effect provided by this yarn, there is created a new range of decorative possibilities in textile design, and it becomes feasible by the use of a yarn of the type disclosed herein, to produce fabrics of original and highly ornamental design, or to produce finishing effects heretofore obtainable at far greater expense only by the use of a multitude of differently colored yarns in combination with complex weaving procedures. Because of the non-continuous nature of the metallic coloration, a greater degree of design flexibility is available in the weaving -and knitting process, and it becomes possible with the ecked yarn to produce shantung-like effects, among others.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for combining webs of transparent synthetic material with metallic threads or" different color to produce a sandwich web which, when slit to yarn size, produces a necked yarn of the type noted above.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tlecked yarn of high quality which may be manufactured and sold at relatively low cost.

Brieliy stated, these objects are accomplished by a technique wherein two webs of transparent material and an array of metallized threads which lie at spaced parallel positions in a common plane, are simultaneously fed to laminating rolls, the array of threads feeding into said rolls being at the same time so manipulated as to cause the threads sandwiched between the webs to be sinuously arranged in meandering paths which repeatedly intersect the longitudinal axis of said webs, whereby when the resultant sandwich web is slit longitudinally to produce laminated yarns, each yarn incorporates those portions of said metallized threads which appear at the point of intersection.

For a better understanding of the invention, as well vas other objects and further features thereof, reference is had to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. l is -a schematic drawing, in pcrspeective, showing a technique for producing a laminated web which when slit forms a speckled yarn in accordance with lthe invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates, in perspective, the apparatus for slitting the laminated web;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through one of n the speckled yarns;

Patented Jan. 2, 1968 FG. 4 is a plan view of the laminated web prior to slitting; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the speckled yarn in supported form.

Referring now to FIG. l, in a system in accordance with the invention for producing a decked yarn thread, two continuous webs of transparent thermoplastic material 1) and 11 are drawn from supply -rolls 12 and 13 and are caused to travel into a laminating device constituted by pressure rolls 14 and 15. The webs may be constituted by cellophane, acetate, tri-acetate, acetate Ibutyrate, polymerized ethylene glycol terephthalate (Mylar), or any other suitable transparent and exible synthetic material. The thickness of the web for ordinary yarn purposes should not exceed 2 mils, but of course other thicknesses may be used in other applications. The laminating rolls 14 and 15 and the wind-up reel 16 for the sandwich web are operated by a suitable drive system 17.

Fed between the webs 10 and 11 into laminating rolls 14 and 15, are a series of ribbon-like metallic threads 18A, 18B, 18C, etc., which are preferably less than one mil in thickness, disposed in spaced parallel relation and derived from a bank 19A, 19B, 19C, etc., of spools or packages. The several threads from the spools pass through the respective openings of a reed 20 or similar device which serves to maintain the threads at their spaced positions. The reed 26 is caused, by a traversing mechanism 2l of any suitable design, to reciprocate relative to the bight of laminating rolls 14 and 15, whereby the metallic threads enter between the webs at an angle relative to the direction of movement, this angle being continually shifted as the reed moves back and forth. The movement of the reed may be made irregular, rather than periodic in order to obtain more random distribution of specks.

The undersurface of top web 10 is coated with a clear transparent adhesive in liquid form applied thereto by means of a roll 22 operating in conjunction with an adhesive well 23. Simultaneously a layer of yadhesive is applied to the top surface of the bottom web 11 by means of a roll 24 operating in conjunction with an adhesive well 25. Suitable transparent adhesive for this purpose may -be formed of polyvinyl resin, and in other formulations, such as those disclosed in the patent to Lacy, 2,772,994.

Thus as the series of threads feeds between the 4adhesive-coated webs, a sandwich web 26 is formed in which the webs and the metallic threads are interfacially bonded. Since the threads are introduced at a constantly shifting angle to the direction of web movement, the threads in the sandwich assume sinuous configurations in which each thread runs in a meandering path with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sandwich web.

After the sandwich web 26 is -rolled up on roll 16 and the adhesive layers fully dried or cured, the sandwich web 25 is unwouud and conveyed through a conventional slitter, such as the bank 27 of equi-spaced knives shown in FlG. 2, which serves to cut the web into a series of separate hat, ecked yarns 26A, 26B, 26C, etc. In practice, the web may first be cut into broad bands which are thereafter slit to the ultimate yarn size.

The nature of the individual yarns is lbest appreciated by referring again to FIG. 4, wherein the longitudinal section of the web, which when slit, forms an individual yarn 26X, is delineated by dashed lines running parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the sandwich web. It will be evident that intersecting the longitudinal path of the individual yarn sections of the web are portions of metallic threads 18E, 181:, 18G, 18H, ISG, 18E, ISF, 18G, 18H, in succession. Since the paths of the threads weave back and forth with respect to the straight path of the in- 3 dividual yarn, only that portion of the thread which appears at the intersection is trapped within the yarn. It will also be seen that the spacings between the points o-f i intersection are not uniform and appear random. Hence,

as shown in FIG. 3, in section, each yarn ribbon is composed of a transparent bottom ply P1, a transparent top ply P2, and randomly distributed metallic specks S1, S2, S3, etc., the specks and plies being adhesively interconnected. The metallic specks are visible on Veither side of the yarn. It is to be understood that when the metallicrspecks themselves are formed with thermoplastic coatings, these may be combined with the transparent plies by heat-sealing techniques and without adhesive. However to bond together the transparent plies in the areas thereof not including metallic specks, an adhesive should be applied to one surface thereof.

The metallic threads of diiierentV color fed into the combiner rolls may be in any known form, including narrow ribbons of pure metal foil, or metal foil sandwiched between plies of transparent synthetic plastic material, as disclosed in Prindle et al. Patent 2,714,569. Preferably, the metallic threads are of the non-laminated type made in accordance with Scharf Patent 2,974,055, wherein a base layer of thermoplastic material is vacuum coated with a metallic deposit, such as aluminum, in a thickness not exceeding one iifty-thousandths of an inch, the metallic deposit vthen being coated with a transparent plastic in liquid form which, when dried and cured, forms a thin lm related structurally to the base material and adhering directly to the metallic deposit. Since the thickness of this non-laminated thread is mainly determined by that ofthe base web, it is possible with a Mylar base 4to produce metallized threads of less than one mil in thickness and of relatively high tensile strength.

It is important that the metallic thread be exceptionally thin, for being sandwiched between two plies, it contributes to the ultimate thickness of the flecked yarn. In order, therefore, to produce a thin, ecked yarn, it is essential that the metallic threads incorporated therein be extremely thin. Moreover, such thinness on the part of the metallic threads is necessary in order to permit eiective lamination of the top and bottom webs in the clear areas therebetween'in which the threads are absent.

When the flecked yarn is knit or woven into a fabric, the random distribution of the metallic specks therein produces a fabric having an unusual and highly decorative appearance. If, for example, the ecked ya-rn appears only in the warp, and a clear weft yarn is interwoven therewith, then the streaks of differently colored metallic tlecks all run in the same direction to produce a shantunglike effect. But altogether different effects are obtainable when using tlecked yarns'in both the Wa-rp and woot directions, since then the metallic specks which run linearly with the yarns across each other in the warp and Woof directions;

It, as shown in FIG. 5, the flecked yarn FY is supported" said outer plies and laminated thereto, said specksY being formed by a metal coating formed on a clear thermoplastic base, which coating is covered by a clear thermoplastic lm directly adherent thereto, which specks are heat-sealed to said outer plies.

2. A yarn as set forth in claim 1, wherein said specksl are randomly distributed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,674,025 4/1954 Ladisch 161-174 3,060,552 l0/l962 Scheyer 161--174 2,893,466 7/1959 Fink 156-179 2,927,623 3/1960 Huisman et al. 156-179 2,714,569 8/ 1955 Prindle et al. 2,772,994 12/1956 Lacy 16'1-175 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,323 7/ 1959 Italy.

JACOB H. STEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

EARL M. BERGERT, ALEXANDER WYMAN,

MORRIS SUSSMAN, Examiners.

A. I. SMEDEROVAC, R. A. FLORES, L. M. CARLIN,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. A FLECKED YARN COMPRISING: (A) TOP AND BOTTOM RIBBON-LIKE OUTER PLIES OF CLEAR TRANSPARENT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FORMED OF POLYMERIZED ETHYLENE GLYCOL TEREPHTHALATE, AND (B) SPECKS OF METALLIC THREADS SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID OUTER PLIES AND LAMINATED THERETO, SAID SPECKS BEING FORMED BY A METAL COATING FORMED ON A CLEAR THERMOPLASTIC BASE, WHICH COATING IS COVERED BY A CLEAR THERMOPLASTIC FILM DIRECTLY ADHERENT THERETO, WHICH SPECKS ARE HEAT-SEALED TO SAID OUTER PLIES. 